kingnovel Chapter 1390 Landfill
Chapter 1390 Landfill
Xiao Zhou signaled to his team members to escort Zheng Hu along the route he had taken to escape, to further verify the details. Zheng Hu obediently followed the team members, exiting the cornfield through the western entrance and arriving at the adjacent peanut field. "I crossed through here, and I trampled down quite a few peanut vines," Zheng Hu said, pointing to the peanut vines under his feet. "I was running very fast and didn't pay attention to my footing; I was just thinking about getting out of this place as quickly as possible." The technical staff immediately conducted a detailed investigation of the peanut field and indeed found several trampled peanut vines, consistent with Zheng Hu's confession.
"After you killed Qin Lifeng, did you think about disposing of his body? Why didn't you choose to dump the body elsewhere?" Xiao Zhou asked. Zheng Hu sighed and said, "I was too scared at the time. All I could think about was escaping. I didn't even think about dumping the body. Besides, that cornfield was relatively remote, and few people usually went there. I didn't think anyone would find his body quickly, and by the time they did, there probably wouldn't be any evidence left. I never expected that you would trace it back to me so quickly, and I certainly didn't expect so many traces to be left at the scene."
By now, the sun was high in the sky, its rays bathing the entire cornfield. Zheng Hu stood at the crime scene and recounted the entire murder of Qin Lifeng in detail, from the initial extortion to the altercation and struggle, to the stabbing and subsequent hasty escape. Every detail matched the footprints, physical evidence, and forensic autopsy results found at the scene. Xiao Zhou turned off his body camera and said to Zheng Hu, “Zheng Hu, you have fully confessed to the crime. This confession will be used as evidence in court. For your own selfish desires, you cruelly murdered the innocent Qin Lifeng and threatened his family, committing an unforgivable crime. You will undoubtedly face the full force of the law.”
Upon hearing this, Zheng Hu's legs went weak, and he collapsed to the ground, tears streaming down his face. "I was wrong... I was really wrong... I shouldn't have killed him in a moment of impulse, and I shouldn't have threatened his son... I'm sorry to Qin Lifeng, I'm sorry to his family..." But no amount of remorse could bring back the life that had been lost. What awaited him was the fair judgment of the law.
After the scene identification was completed, Xiao Zhou led his team to escort Zheng Hu back to the police station, while the technical staff remained at the scene to conduct a final verification and evidence collection of the details in Zheng Hu's confession. Xiao Yang held the scene investigation record and compared it with Zheng Hu's confession point by point, confirming that there were no contradictions: "Team Leader Zhang, all the details have been checked. Zheng Hu's confession is completely consistent with the results of the scene investigation and forensic autopsy, forming a complete chain of evidence."
Xiao Zhou nodded, a relieved smile on his face. This cornfield murder case, which had troubled everyone for days, was fraught with challenges, from the initial discovery of an unidentified male corpse, to identifying the deceased Qin Lifeng, to apprehending the suspect Zheng Hu through a clue about the air conditioner, and now to reconstructing the entire crime scene through on-site identification. Every step was fraught with difficulty. However, the members of the Criminal Investigation Detachment, with their professionalism, meticulousness, and rigor, did not overlook any clues and ultimately successfully solved the case, bringing justice to the deceased Qin Lifeng.
Back at the police station, Xiao Zhou immediately compiled a report on the scene identification and Zheng Hu's complete confession, and submitted it to the branch captain, Li Ming. After reading the report, Li Ming said to Xiao Zhou and his team, "Well done! The scene identification results are ideal, and Zheng Hu's confession is complete and consistent with the evidence. This lays a solid foundation for the subsequent prosecution. Qin Lifeng was honest and law-abiding, yet he was tragically murdered. We must ensure that the murderer receives the punishment he deserves and comfort the soul of the deceased in heaven."
At this moment, news came from the team member responsible for taking care of Qin Xiaoyu. Qin Xiaoyu had learned that Zheng Hu had been successfully identified at the scene and the case was about to be closed. His emotions had stabilized considerably, and he had returned to school. Upon hearing this, Xiao Zhou finally felt a weight lifted from his heart. He knew that although Qin Lifeng's departure had brought immense pain to the boy, the triumph of justice might offer some solace to this unfortunate child.
Over the next few days, the members of the Criminal Investigation Detachment continued to refine the case file, compiling all materials, including the scene investigation record, forensic autopsy report, Zheng Hu's confession, and physical evidence examination report, before transferring them to the procuratorate for review and prosecution. The technical department staff also conducted a final verification of all physical evidence to ensure that every piece of evidence was authentic, valid, and without any flaws.
On September 20, the procuratorate formally approved the arrest of Zheng Hu and filed a public prosecution against him for intentional homicide. When the news reached Qinghe Town and Wangjia Village, the villagers were overjoyed. Grandpa Chen, the fruit stall owner next to Qin's oil mill, exclaimed, "Boss Qin was a good man; I never expected him to suffer such a misfortune. Now the murderer is finally being punished; it's truly gratifying!" The villagers of Wangjia Village also expressed their relief, saying that the criminal investigation team had truly rid the people of a scourge.
In the Criminal Investigation Division's office building, Xiao Zhou looked at Qin Lifeng's photo, his heart filled with mixed emotions. He recalled Qin Lifeng's honest and upright image, Qin Xiaoyu's grief after losing her father, and every heart-wrenching moment during the case's investigation. He knew that as a criminal investigator, he bore a heavy responsibility; the resolution of each case was related to the happiness of a family and the peace of society. In the future, he would continue to stand firm on the front line of fighting crime, using his expertise and hard work to safeguard the peace of the community, ensuring that no innocent person was wronged and no murderer escaped justice.
Less than a week after the Qin Lifeng case was closed, the Criminal Investigation Detachment received another report.
At 6:17 a.m., the city's Criminal Investigation Detachment Command Center received a report: an elderly scavenger had discovered an unidentified body at the North Suburbs Landfill. Upon receiving the order, Detachment Leader Li Ming immediately led his investigation team to the scene, accompanied by technicians Xiao Yang and Xiao Sun, who were responsible for the on-site investigation, and several other investigators. The North Suburbs Landfill is located in a desolate area on the outskirts of the city. It is the city's main waste disposal site, perpetually filled with a pungent stench of decay. The surrounding area is overgrown with weeds, and apart from a few scavengers, very few outsiders venture there.
Around 7 a.m., police cars arrived at the entrance to the landfill. It was still dark, the morning mist hadn't dissipated, and several garbage trucks were already operating inside, their roar breaking the early morning silence. The elderly scavenger, Mr. Li, who had reported the incident, was squatting beside the stone monument at the entrance, frantically gesturing to the investigators to indicate the location where the body had been found. "Officer, it's behind that earthen slope inside. I went in this morning to collect bottles, and from a distance I saw a hand sticking out from under a pile of garbage. When I got closer, I was terrified!" Mr. Li's voice trembled.